MRC Online Courses

Account Takeover (Advanced)

Explore the intricate world of account takeovers (and earn 1.5 CPE credits!) with this online course. Our advanced Account Takeover online program, presented by Nethone, serves as your key to comprehending ATO's inner workings and its extensive repercussions. Course author and renowned cybersecurity master Mateusz Chrobok provides a thorough breakdown of the account takeover process, explores real-world use cases, and unveils emerging threats, all designed to equip you with the required skills to detect, prevent, and combat account takeover fraud.


Who Should Enroll?

  • Fraud prevention specialists working in fraud detection and prevention.
  • Cybersecurity professionals who want to deepen their understanding of account takeover (ATO) tactics, detection, and prevention.
  • Risk management professionals tasked with assessing and mitigating risks in digital environments.
  • eCommerce managers who need to protect customer accounts from unauthorized access.
  • Law enforcement personnel dealing with cybercrimes.
  • Others who may find this course beneficial include banking and financial services employees, IT specialists and network administrators, and legal professionals specializing in cyber law.

Learning Objectives

  • Identify methods attackers use to gain unauthorized access to accounts
  • Detect particularities of ATO relevant to your own field and industry
  • Understand the ATO process step by step
  • Recognize key malicious actions that lead to ATO
  • Spot early-warning signs of ATO
  • Identify and prevent emerging threats and abuses that come with ATO
  • Respond to different consequences of ATO attacks
  • Leverage users, network, and behavior related data to detect ATO
  • Increase your ATO prevention precision by spotting even the less intuitive signs

Program Details

  • Program Level: Advanced
  • Program Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge
  • Program Delivery Method: QAS Self Study
  • CPE Credits: 1.5
  • Advanced Preparation and/or Pre-requisites: Fraud Essentials is recommended.
  • Pricing: USD $150 (plus applicable taxes) | MRC Members receive a 50% discount on all eLearning courses.

Please allow approx. 1.5 hours to complete this course. The course culminates with a comprehensive final assessment to evaluate the user's comprehension of the material. Upon successfully completing the final assessment, participants will be awarded a certificate of completion and CPE credits representing their proficiency in the subject matter.


CPE credits can be applied toward industry certifications such as the Certified Payments and Fraud Prevention Professional (CPFPP) and the Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE).

MRC Education Accreditation

The Merchant Risk Council is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: nasbaregistry.org

National Registry of CPE Sponsors logo

MRC Education Refund Policy

MRC Education eLearning course refunds and cancellations are determined on a case-by-case basis. Cancellations and requests for refunds must be communicated in writing to programs@merchantriskcouncil.org. Refunds will not be issued once a course is started. Additionally, courses must be completed within one year of the course enrollment date.